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  • Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Robert Flello – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of its methods of alleviating road congestion on motorways after an incident; and what plans his Department has to improve those methods.

    Andrew Jones

    Highways England Traffic Officers play an important role in keeping traffic moving by helping road users in the event of a breakdown or collision, clearing debris from the motorways and returning the road back to normal.

    To assess how well Highways England are performing in clearing incidents, a target has been set to clear 85% of all lane impact incidents on the motorway network with one hour, as set out in the Roads Investment Strategy (RIS) and reported on annually. Highways England works closely with the other emergency responders including police forces, ambulance authorities, and fire and rescue services to improve its incident response.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to improve the safety of hoverboards.

    Anna Soubry

    Self-balancing scooters, commonly referred to as hover-boards are regulated for safety under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations. These Regulations require products to be safe. Enforcement of the Regulations rests with Trading Standards for consumer products. Trading Standards have already prevented over 100,000 being made available to consumers and further action is being taken as appropriate.

    The Regulations provide powers for non-compliant products to be prevented from being made available to consumers until they are brought into compliance. Where products are not brought into compliance Trading Standards can apply to the Courts for permission to destroy the goods.

    The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been working with Trading Standards to ensure consistency of approach to deal with these products and to raise the profile of the potential safety issues with consumers.

  • Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential safety implications of the mandatory introduction of dashboard cameras in (a) cars, (b) vans and (c) heavy goods vehicles.

    Andrew Jones

    No such assessment has been made. The provisions on forward vision for drivers are already regulated in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (as amended).

  • Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Ruth Cadbury – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Cadbury on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on the conclusions of the Aviation Environment Federation report, Aircraft Noise and Public Health, published on 12 January 2016, The Evidence is Loud and Clear.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    I have had no representations on the conclusion of the report. I meet with airport noise community groups from time to time to hear about the issue of aircraft noise and its impact on residents.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department collects statistics for the purposes of monitoring on the types of tickets purchased by bus passengers.

    Andrew Jones

    The National Travel Survey collects annual statistics from a sample of individuals in England on trips by various modes, including data on ticket types used for bus journeys.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the gauge clearance is of routes used to divert freight services disrupted by the temporary closure of the West Coast Main Line north of Carlisle.

    Claire Perry

    This is an operational matter for Network Rail. Network Rail advises that the current published freight clearances by diversionary route are as follows:

    i. The freight clearance for the diversion via the East Coast Main Line is W9.

    ii. The published freight clearance for the diversions via Glasgow & South Western Route and the route between Kilmarnock and Barassieare both W8.

    iii. The published freight clearance for the diversion via Mauchline to Newton on Ayr is W7

    However, in response to the situation at Lamington, Network Rail has confirmed clearance to move certain types of larger deep-sea containers on both the Glasgow & South Western Route and the Newton on Ayr route.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps Network Rail is taking to ensure co-ordination between its regional units for the purpose of redirecting traffic affected by the closure of the West Coast Main Line north of Carlisle.

    Claire Perry

    Co-ordination arrangements for managing passenger and freight traffic whilst the West Coast Main Line route through Lamington is closed are operational matters for Network Rail.

  • Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Danny Kinahan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Danny Kinahan on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations he has received on the Scottish Government’s proposals to absorb the British Transport Police into Police Scotland.

    David Mundell

    The cross-party Smith Commission agreed that the functions of the British Transport Police in Scotland would be devolved. The Government has received representations about the transfer of these functions in Scotland, including correspondence from MPs. The Department for Transport and Scottish Government officials are in regular contact about the delivery of the transfer of functions.

  • Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    Margaret Ferrier – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Scotland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ferrier on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2015 to Question 18729 and the oral contribution of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury of 6 January 2016, Official Report, columns 274-5, whether he has discussed the introduction of the new Work and Health Programme in Scotland with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

    David Mundell

    Further to my answer of 10 December 2015, UK and Scottish Government officials are discussing the introduction of the new Work and Health Programme and broader welfare reforms, including the implications for Scotland in the context of the devolution of welfare powers in the Scotland Bill. In due course, I would expect these issues to be discussed by the Joint Ministerial Welfare Group, which I co-chair with the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners’ Rights and is attended by DWP and HM Treasury Ministers.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2016-01-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on the oral and written evidence provided by the Government to the Joint Committee on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I have been in regular contact with the Home Secretary on the Investigatory Powers Bill since drafting began last year. The Government is fully aware of the crucial importance of this legislation for combating terrorism in Northern Ireland. In November, the Home Secretary and I met to discuss the pre-legislative scrutiny process and the latest draft of the Bill that has been examined by the Joint Committee.

    Between November and January, the Government provided detailed evidence to the Joint Committee, including the Home Secretary’s oral evidence given last week. The Government’s evidence has explained the provisions of the Bill in detail and has set out the necessity of the powers as well as the safeguards that are to apply.